Method of producing fittings in the form of adapters or the like



DSC 24, 1940. E. M. cARTwRlGvl-IT 2,225,902

METHOD OF PRODUCING FITTINGS IN THE FORM OF ADAPTERS OR THE LIKE Filed Jun 7.. 1939 Y Z www 6 o n10 m 3 m W mf w; f Z 7 Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE METuon or raonvovc FITTINGS IN THE roam oF ADAPTERS on THE mm,

Application June 7, 1939, Serial No. 277,804

3 Claims.

provide a superior method for producing adapters of the type referred to, whereby the said adapters may beproduced free from cracks and aws. y

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior method for producing adapters for interconnecting threaded and unthreaded pipes, tubes, and the like, whereby portions of the material of a relatively small and compact slug or blank may be displaced a relatively great distance to form an adapter withoutcreating flaws or fissures therein.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a superior method for producing adapters of the type referred to, whereby a relatively-long and thin tubular extension may be displaced from a relatively-small and readily handleable slug or blank without occasioning undue wear upon the tools employed.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for producing a superior adapter suitable for interconnecting the threaded terminal pipe, tube or fitting with the Unthreaded terminal of aI pipe, tube or fitting, and characterized by lightness of weight and su- 40 perior resistance to distortion and denting.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior method of producing adapters of the type referred to, whereby substantially all of the materials of a blank may be shaped into an adapter without creating an undue amount of Waste material requiring trimming-off.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purpose:

Fig. 1 is a view mainly in central-longitudinal Another object of the present invention is to section and partly in elevation of two complemental die-members and a, mandrel-member suitable for producing the adapters of the present invention. the said parts being shown in their retired positions and a slug or blank being shown o in place upon the lower die-member;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing the two die-members closed and the mandrel-member in the position which it assumes at the instant of the starting of the extruding op 10 eration;

Fig. 3 is a similar view but showing the mandrel in the position which it assumes at the completion o! the extruding operation;

Fig. 4 is a broken transverse sectional view 15 taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a sl'ug or firststage blank suitable for the production of 20 adapters:

Fig. 7 is a view partly in central-longitudinal section and partly in elevation of the second-stage blank;

Fig. 8 is a top or plan view thereof;

Fig. 9 is an under-'end view thereof;

Fig. 10 is a view partly in'central-longitudinal section and partly in elevation of an elbowadapter which may be produced from the secondstage blank of Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive. 30

Fig. 11 is a similar view of a straight-line adapter which may be produced from a secondstage blank of the character shown in Figs. '7, 8 and 9;

Fig. l2 is a view partly in central-longitudinal 35 section and partly in elevation of another form of second-stage blank from which another form of straight-line adapter may be produced in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 13 is a View partly in central-longitudinal 40 section and partly in elevation of a finished straight-line adapter which may be produced from the second-stage blank of Fig. 12.

In Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, of the accompanying drawings. is shown an apparatus suitable for carrying out the process of the present invention to v produce ttings for tubes or pipes, preferably in the form of adapters. The apparatus referred to includes a die-member 20 provided with an extrusion-passage 2| extending therethrough and hav- 50 ing a size and cross-sectional form corresponding to the desired size and cross-sectional form of the outside of the extension-portion of the Aadapter to be produced. Adapted to be alternately engaged with and retired out of engagement with the die- 65 member is a die-member 22 having a passage 23 extending therethrough 1n axial alignment with the extrusion-passage 2l in the die-member 2li. The passage 23, just referred to, is formed at its end adjacent the die-member 20 with a polygonal -enlargement 24 which, together with the adjacent portion of the passage 23 proper, substantially conforms in size and cross-sectional form to the desired exterior contours of the body-portion of the adapter which it is desired to produce, all as will more full'y hereinafter appear.

Cooperating with the die-members 20 and 22 is a mandrel-member generally designated by the reference character 25 and including a relativelylong guide-portion 26 which corresponds in size and cross-sectional form to the desired size and cross-sectional form of the interior of the extension-portion of the adapter to be produced. The said guide-portion 26 projects outwardly from a relatively-short and -thick displacing-portion 21 which is circular in cross-section and preferably has a taper extending inwardly and toward the guide-portion 26 and of a degree substantially corresponding to the taper of standard pipethreads.

'I'he displacing-portion 21 of the mandrel-member 25 is located intermediate the guide-portion 28 and the body-portion 28 of the mandrel-member 25. The end of the said body-portion 28 adjacent the displacing-portion 21 'provides a stopportion 29 -which is substantially perpendicular with respect to the axis of the mandrel-member 25 and which faces toward the guide-portion 26 and the displacing-portion 21 of the said mandrel. At the junction point of the displacing-portion 21 and the stop-portion 29 the mandrel-member 25 is formed with a bevel-portion 30 for the purpose as will hereinafter appear.

To produce the adapters of the present invention a tubular slug or first-stage blank such as 3| (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) may be employed which preferably has at one end an annular axiallyextending locating-flange 32. The exterior diameter of the tubular first-stage blank 3| is such as to be freely received within the passage 23 in the die-member 22 and the internal diameter of the said blank is such as to receive the guideportion 26 of the mandrel-member 25. As is shown particularly well in Figs. l and 2 the outside diameter of the locating-flange 32 of the rststage blank 3| is such as to substantially fit the extrusion-passage 2| in the die-member 20 so as to centralize the blank with respect to the said extrusion-passage 2| and also with respect to the passage 23 in the die-member 22 and with respect to the mandrel-member 25.

While the two die-members 20 and 22 are separated from each other and the mandrel-member 25 is retired as illustrated in Fig. 1, the iirststage blank 3| is placed upon the said die-member 2E so as to be centralized by the entry of its locating-ange 32 into the adjacent end of the extrusion-passage 2|, as shown. When placed upon the die-member 20 as just described, the blank- 3| is preferably at a red heat.

With the parts positioned as above described and as shown in Fig. 1, the die-member 22 is preferably rst brought into engagement with the die-member 20, so that the major portion of the iirst-stage blank y3| is located within the passage 23 in the die-member 22 and the mandrelmember 25 is then also moved to enter its guideportlon 26 into the blank 3|, as is shown in Fig. 2. When the mandrel-member 25 reaches the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 2,

lthick-walled body-portion 35.

its guide-portion 28 will extend well below the lower face oi' the blank 3|, in position to act as a guide for the portion of the said blank which is about to be extruded downwardly.

-The continued movement oi Ithe mandrelmember 25 will, by virtue of the engagement of the displacing-portion 21 thereof with the upperportion of the ilrst-stage blank 3|, force the metal of the lower portion of the said blank downwardly into the rink-like space provided between the outer periphery ofthe guide-portion 26 of the mandrel-member 25 and the surface of the extrusion-passage 2| in the die-member 20. Substantially simultaneously, the material of the upper portion of the first-stage blank 3| will flow upwardly in the ring-like space between the displacing-portion 21 of the mandrel-member 25 and the surface of the passage 23 in the die-member 22, until ultimately the material of the blank comes into engagement with the stop-portion 29 and the bevel-portion 3U of the said mandrelmember 25. Substantially at the same time, an

intermediate portion of the blank 3i will be forced outwardly into the polygonal enlargement 24 of the die-member 22, all as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5.

In the construction shown, both the guideportion 26 of the mandrel-member 25 and the extrusion-passage 2| are of relatively great axial length, though not necessarily so, since the said features, obviously, need be only sulciently long to provide between them a ring-like extrusionspace to predetermine the interior and exterior shapes and sizes, respectively, of the extruded portion.

The action of the mandrel-member 25, :in conjunction with the die-members 2i! and 22, as above described, results in the formation of a second-stage blank, generally designated by the reference character 33, as is particularly well shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. The said second-stage blank, as thus formed, includes a relatively-thinwalled extension-portion and a relatively-heavy The said extension-portion 34 may be guided against lateral deiection during its formation as above described, by either or both the guide-portion 25 and the surface of the extrusion-passage 2E.

The body-portion 35 above referred to is formed with a polygonal wrench-receiving portion 36 upon its exterior and has a tapered thread-receiving recess or socket 31 formed therein and conforming in shape to the displacing-portion 21 of the mandrelmember 25. The socket 31 terminates at the outer end oi the said body-portion in a chamber 38 conforming to the bevel-portion oi? the mandrel-member 25. The outer end of the extension-portion 32 of the second-stage blank S3 may now, if desired, be trimmed along the tine 39 (Fig. 1) to provide a smooth and iinished enoliace for the blank.

After the second-stage blank 33 has been formed as above described, the die-members 2E? and 22 and the mandrel-member 25 may be restored to the positions in which they are indicated in Fig. l

A portion 35 of the second-stage blank 3S after its removal from the tools, may be provided with threads 40 (Fig. 10) and the extension-portion 3l?.

may be bent at a right angle, for instance, to form an arcuate extension-portion 4i of an elbowadapter generally designated by the reference character 42 in Fig. lil. The said elbow-adapter 32 includes a relatively-heavy lwdy-portion 43 in which the threads il@ before referred to are formed and which is provided at its inner end with a polygonal wrench-receiving portion 4t. 'Ihe outer terminal of the arcuate extension-portion 4I may be expanded or bellmouthed to provide a tubereceiving socket d5 as is shown in Fig. 10.

As thus produced, the elbow-adapter 42 is of double-female character and is suitable for providing a right-angled connection between a threaded pipe, tube or pipe-tting engaged with the threads 4t, and an unthreaded tube, pipe or tting `which may be received in the tube-receiving socket l5 and sweat-soldered therein in a manner now common in the art oi' pipe-fitting.

Instead of converting the second-stage blank 'd3 into the elbow-adapter 42, the said blank may be converted into a double-female straight-line adapter generally designated by the reference character d6 and illustrated in Fig. 11 of the accompanying drawings. The adapter d6, just referred to, includes a relatively-heavy bodyportion 4l corresponding to the body-portion 43 of the elbow-adapter d2 and, like the same, provided with a threaded female-socket 48 adapted to receive a threaded pipe, tube or pipe-fitting.` Also like the body-portion 43 of the elbow-adapter 42, the straight-line adapter #i6 is provided with a polygonal wrench-receiving portion 49.

The straight-line adapter 46 also includes a relatively-thin-walled extension-portion 50 which is bellmouthed at its lower end to provide a tubereceiving socket 5i adapted to receive and have sweat-soldered into it, the terminal-end of an unthreaded pipe, tube or pipe-lltting.

The showing of Figs. 12 and 13 relates to a short straight-line adapter which may be produced by tools similar to those before described in connection with the form of the present invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, to provide a second-stage blank generally designated by the reference character 52 in Fig. 12. 'Ihe said second-stage blank 52 includes a body-portion 53 having an external polygonal Wrench-receiving portion 54. 'I'he said body-portion 53 is also prnvided with a tapered thread-receiving socket and with a chamfer 56. Projecting from the inner end of the body-portion 53 is an extensionportion 51 which may be extruded in the same manner as has been described in connection with the extension-portion. 34 o1' fthe second-stage blank 33. The second-stage blank 52` may have its extension-portion 53 trimmed of! along the line 58 (Fig. 12) to provide a smooth terminaledge.

The second-stage blank 52 may be converted into a iinished straight-line adapter like that shown in Fig. 13 by providing the thread-receiving socket 55 thereof -With threads 59 land by counterboring the extension-portion 51 thereof to providea tube-receiving socket 60 adapted to snugly receive the unthreaded terminal of a pipe, tube or pipe-fitting, any of which may be sweatsoldered in place in said socket |50. The counterboring, to produce the tube-receiving socket 90, results in the formation of a stop-shoulder 6I in the nished straight-line adapter 62 oi' Fig. 13. The completed straight-line adapter 62 thus includes a body-portion 63 in which the threads 59 are formed, a chamfer 64, a polygonal wrenchreceiving portion 65 and a tubular extensionportion 66 in which the socket 6U is formed.

The adapters of the present invention may be formed of a wide variety of materials though a copper and copper-base material is preferred for many reasons among which may be mentioned lts corrosion-resistance and its solderability.

Instead of forming internal threadsl in the bodyportions oi' the adapters, the said body-portions may obviously be provided with external threads. Similarly'the extension-portions of the adapters may be sized to twithin an unthreaded pipe or the like rather than having such pipe or the like telescoped into the said extension-portions.

By employing an extrusion operation in producing the adapters above described, not only is the wear and tear upon the tools employed very much minimized, but an appreciable saving in power may be eifected `and the resultant adapter rendered homogeneous and free of flaws and tlssures. Furthermore, the resultant adapter is rigid and markedlyresistant to denting and otherl impairments which might result from rough substantiallyv conning a metal tubular blank in Y a die-cavity having a ring-like extrusion-opening leading therefrom; bringing into operative 'relationship to said metal tubular blank a mandrelmember having a guide-portion and a displacing-portion respectively of smaller diameter than the diameter of the said extrusion-opening and the outside diameter of the said metal tubular blank; extending the guide-portion of the said mandrel-member through the said metal tubular blank and into the said extrusion-opening; and bringing the displacing-portion of the said mandrel-member into engagement with the said metal tubular blank and causing it to perform a metaldisplacing operation thereon to produce a hollow body-portion having its wall formed of sumcient thickness and lengthpto carry a number of threads thereon for threaded connection of the said body-portion to a threaded end of a pipe or the like, and to substantially-simultaneously pro-A duce in the said metal-displacing operationl extrusion or displaced metal through the said ex trusion-opening and around the guide-portion of the said mandrel-member to form a. tubular extension-portion projecting .from the said body-v portion.

2. A method of producing` fittings in the form of adapters or the like for interconnecting pipes or similar articles, the said method comprising:

substantially confining a metal tubular blank in mandrel-member through the said metal tubular blank and into the said extrusion-opening: and bringing the displacing-portion of the said mandrel-member into engagement with the said metal tubular blank and causing it to perform ,a metal-displacing operation thereon to produce a socket-like body-portion for receiving an end of a pipe or the like, and to substantially-simultaneously produce in the said metal-displacing operation extrusion of displaced metal of the said blank through the said extrusion-opening and around the guide-portion of said mandrel-member to form a tubular extension-portion projecting from the said socket-like body-portion.

3. A method of producing fittings in the form of adapters or the like for interconnecting pipes or similar articles, the said method comprising: substantially confining a metal tubular blank in a die-cavity having a ring-like extrusion-opening leading therefrom; bringinginto operative relationship to said metal tubular blank a mandrel member having a guide-portion and a displacingportion respectively of smaller diameterthan the diameter of the said extrusion-opening and the outside diameter oi! the said metal tubular blank; extending the guide-portion of the said mandrelxnember through the metal tubular blank and into the said extrusion-opening; and bringing the displacing-portion of the said mandrel-member into engagement with the said metal tubular blank and eiecting a metal-displacing operation of a character to cause flow of metal in the drection of the said extrusion-opening and also EUGENE M. CARTWRIGHT. 

